Night shot, advice needed.

Chris Hurn · December 23, 2005

EDIT: Ouch, wrong forum. Can this be moved please? (lighting) Thanks.

Okay. So I've got a script for a very short film in progress. There are a few night scenes, most of which will be shot day for night using filters post production. I'm quite happy with the results I've managed to get so far so this will be fine. However, for a few shots I want to have the actors with torches. I think that I will have the torch run out of battery quickly though, so I can do the rest day for night. So maybe one or two shots with require the torch.

What I was thinking of doing was either renting a few lights, like a 500w frenel for key, and some smaller lights for fill and back (all blue gels for moonlight), OR using 500 and 150w halogens, with blue gels for a cheaper alternative. So that will be to simutlate the moonlight. Then I'll need the torch to show up.

Can anyone recommended torches that won't break the bank, are quite small, and suitable for this kind of scene? I guess they'd need to be pretty powerful. But I don't want to spend too much on 2-3 shots.

Do you think this will work out? Maybe there's a better alternative to this? It's only probably 2 shots I'd need a torch on. Maybe there's something else I could try.

Cheers!

-Chris

Edited December 23, 2005 by Chris Hurn

Hal Smith · December 31, 2005

get so far so this will be fine. However, for a few shots I want to have the actors with torches. I think that I will have the torch run out of battery quickly though, so I can do the rest day for night. So maybe one or two shots with require the torch.

Dear Chris,

There's a company that makes a line of flashlights called "SureFire". They're derived from the ones that people like Special Forces use - they're incredibly bright. I've got one that's about the size of the Maglite that runs two AA cells, it'll light up the top of a 500' tower at night. They're available at the Bass Pro Shop chain and Cabela's probably has them. They're NOT cheap but they put out a bunch of footcandles, I don't know this for a fact but my eyes tell me they're pretty close to 3200K, maybe a bit higher. A Surefire will balance against a lot more movie lighting better than anything else (IMHO).

You might be able to talk a store that stocks Surefires into loaning you a couple of the two or three D cell models in exchange for a credit line. They'll probably want you to buy the lithium batteries Surefires run because they're not cheap either - but a least you'd save a few bucks by not having to buy the entire light.

OOPS! Just noticed you call flashlights torches, UK? I don't know if Surefires are marketed internationally but I bet they are - try a police equipment supply company.

Edmond, OK

Edited December 31, 2005 by Hal Smith